Everett, WA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Structure unfit for human habitation
- Options ordered
- Repair, board up, or demolish
- Boarding limit
- One year unless extended
- Governing section
- EMC 16.09.010(H) (IPMC 113.1)
Summary
Everett's property maintenance code lets the code official order repair, boarding, or demolition of any structure found vacant, dilapidated, or unfit for human habitation, under the city's amendment to the International Property Maintenance Code.
When, after review of a structure, the code official's judgment is that the structure is vacant, unsecured, and creating a public nuisance or so deteriorated or dilapidated or has become so out of repair as to be dangerous, unsafe, insanitary, or otherwise unfit for human habitation or occupancy, the code official shall order the owner of the premises upon which the structure is located, or the owner's authorized agent, as follows:
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4194-26, passed July 29, 2026).
Full Breakdown
EMC 16.09.010(H) replaces IPMC Section 113.1: when Everett's code official determines a structure is vacant, unsecured, and a public nuisance, or so deteriorated, dilapidated, or out of repair that it is dangerous, unsafe, insanitary, or otherwise unfit for human habitation or occupancy, the official must order the owner to demolish and remove it if repair is unreasonable, repair and make it safe (or board it up for future repair) if it can be made safe, or demolish an abandoned structure after two years of halted construction. Boarding for future repair may not exceed one year without the code official's approval. Enforcement runs through Everett's civil code-enforcement procedures in EMC Chapter 1.20.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance with a code official's repair, boarding, or demolition order is enforced through Everett's civil code enforcement procedures under EMC Chapter 1.20, which can include fines and injunctive relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Everett force a landlord to fix an uninhabitable rental?
How long can a structure in Everett stay boarded up?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Everett
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Repairs & Habitability in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle repairs & habitability.